Apparatus for cooling air.



PATENTED JAN. 10, 1906.

S. G. DAVIDSON.

APPARATUS FOR COOLING AIR.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.28,1904.

4 SHEETSSHEET 1 JM 21 I MWS KZyW MIA/[5859;

PATENTED JAN. 10, 1905.

A No. 779,414,

S. O. DAVIDSON. APPARATUS FOR COOLING AIR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 28, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No, 779,414. PATENTED JAN. 10, 1905. S. G, DAVIDSON. APPARATUS FORCOOLING AIR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 28, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

PATENTED JAN. 10, 1905.

S. O. DAVIDSON.

APPARATUS FOR GOOLINGAIR.

APPLIUATION FILED APR. 28, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET Fig. 4'.

Patented January 10, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL CLELAND DAVIDSON, OF BELFAST, IRELAND.

APPARATUS FOR COOLING AIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 779,414 dated January10, 1905.

Application filed April 28, 1904. Serial No. 205,435.

To (ti/Z whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL OLELAND DA- VIDSON, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain and Ireland, and a resident of Belfast, Ireland, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Apparatusfor Cooling Air, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for cooling air of that type wherethe air to be cooled is passed through damp foraminous material, wherebyit causes evaporation of the moisture contained in the foraminousmaterial, which evaporation extracts an equivalent of heat from the air,and consequently cools it to this extent.

According to this invention I provide a fan mounted and rotating withina drum or casing covered with foraminous wetted material through whichthe air to be cooled is forced by the fan within. The fan and the drumof foraminous material (hereinafter called the foraminous drum) are bothrotated, the drum rotating at a much lower speed than the fan, and it isor may be driven from the fanspindle through the medium of a connectionof flexible material disposed between the fanspindle and thedriving-spindle of the foraminous drum, the ends of which spindles arein alinement, the said flexible material serving to minimize loss ofpower and lessen the necessity for accurate fitting of the said spindlesthe one in regard to the other. For the purpose of maintaining theforaminous material in a suitably moist state the foraminous drumrotates with its lower portion dipping into a bath of water, which wateris maintained at such alevel within the drum that it causes acontraction in the even continuity of the cylindrical space between thedrum and the fan within, thereby preventing the circumferential rotationof the air in such cylindrical space under the action of the fan andcausing the fan to effectually discharge the air through the foraminousmaterial of the drum.

I will describe one form of my invention in reference to theaccompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a cross-sectional elevation;Fig.

2, a side elevation looking on inlet-opening to center of fan. Fig. 3 isa plan with top cover of the inclosing or tank casing removed. Fig. Ashows in side elevation an alternative construction of water-reservoirand feeding device.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, A is a fan of the type I preferablyemploy, which fan rotates inside an inclosing casing (Sr, (hereinaftercalled the tank-chamber, which is so constructed that its base acts as awater-tank wr. Around the fan A and concentric therewith is a drum-likecylinder D, forming the foraminous-drum. The circumference of this drumis constructed as an open framing,around which is stretched and attachedany suitable material D of a foraminous nature, and of sufficiently openstructure to permit the passage of air through same. The foraminous drumD is of sufficiently larger diameter than the circumference of the fan Ato provide a cylindrical space E between the circumference of the fanand that of the forminous material (,Z, forming the outer circumferenceof the drum rZ. The lower part of the foraminous drum D dips down intothe water contained in the tank G and revolves through it slowly,whereby the whole surface of the foraminous drum is continuously keptmoist, and the circun'iference of the fan A. revolves sufficiently clearof the surface of the water not to touch same. \Vhere the foraminousdrum D dips into the water the cylindrical spacelt between the fan andthe inner surface of the drum is contracted, as at F, owing to thesurface of the water in the tank Gr forming a chord to the immersedportion of the circumference of the drum D, which contraction preventsthe air discharged from the fan rotating freely around the cylindricalspace E between the fan and the foraminous drum, whereby pressure is setup in the air within the said cylindrical space, which pressure forcesit through the foraminous material into the air-space between the drumand the inner sides of the tank-chamber G. The air in passing throughsaid foraminous material at a high velocity comes into intimate contactwith the moisture held therein, and in addition to the evaporation whichit effects it also mechanically disengages and projects some of themoisture outward as a mist-like spray, which striking against the innersides of the tank-chamber G keeps same wetted, so that they form,additional evaporating-surfaces for the air to pass over after comingthrough the foraminous material around the drum itself, which surfacesmay be further increased by ribbing the inner surfaces of the sides oftank-chamber G or by hanging in front of said sides wire gauze, netting,or other foraminous material. The last-mentioned modification is notillustrated. The air escapes from said tank-casing through a shortvertical pipe W at a reduced temperature equivalent to the amount ofevaporation it has effected. The said for-aminous drum D is rotated bymeans of a worm and worm-wheel gear-train driven by the fan-spindle C,and the terminal wheel of said gear-train consists of a toothed pinionN, which engages a toothed wheel M, concentrically mounted upon and ofless diameter than the foraminous drum D, which drum is provided withprojecting rims Q Q, on which it revolves and which are carried andguided in grooved pulleys R R upon spindles S S, passing through thesaid tank-chamber G and supported from the walls thereof. Thisgear-train is so arranged as to give the foraminous drum D only abouttwo revolutions per minute or other such slow speed as maybe deemeddesirable. The gear-train, as shown in the drawings, consists of a wormK on the primary or driving spindle H. L is a second worm-spindle,carrying the wormwheel K and also another worm, K the latter drivinganother worm-wheel, O, which is mounted on the same spindle P as thebeforementioned pinion N, which drives the toothed wheel M on theforaminous drum D.

The spindle C, on which the fan A is mounted, is preferably an extensionof the spindle of an electric motor B, and as it is of much importancewhen the apparatus is of smallest sizes and very small motors areemployed that there shall be no waste of power in transmitting motionfrom the end of the motor and fan-spindle O to that of the first spindleH of the gear-train, owing to the existence of any slight inaccuracy offitting whereby the spindles might not be exactly in true alinement Withone another, and as the power required for driving the gear-train isvery minute I employ a flexible connection J between said two spindles Cand H, which consists merely of an india-rubber tube fitting tightlyupon the adjacent ends of each spindle. If necessary, a small quantityof rubber solution may be applied to the ends of the spindles before theends of said rubber tube J are stretched over them, forming an amplystrong connection for the purposes required.

It is to be understood that other forms of flexible connection may beemployed; but the above is specially simple and useful for the purpose.

In order to keep the water at a uniform height within the tank-casing G,a ball-cock may be employed in the tank of the largest sizes of theapparatus; but for the medium sizes I may employ a water-supplyreservoir, such as shown at Y, supplying the water to the tank-base G onthe bird-fountain principle or on the principle of the tallow-cups usedon steam-engine cylinders. The said reservoir may have a funnel Y on thetop and a tap Y on the intermediate connecting-pipe and a pipe Y, with atap in itleading from the base of the reservoir into an open-topped cupor basin Z, on the outer side of the tank-casing G and so connected withthe tank-base G that the water-level in the tank corresponds with thatin the cup Z and is openly visible therein. The lower end of thebase-pipe 1" from the reservoir Y should merely dip into the water inthe cup Z and tern'iinate just at the level at which it is desired tomaintain the waterlevel in the tank. hen filling the reservoir, the tapon the base-pipe Y is closed and that between the funnel Y and thereservoir open, and when the reservoir is filled the funnel-tap isclosed and that on the base-pipe opened, whereupon if the water in thecup and tank has fallen below the proper level the lower end of thebase-pipe Y will be uncovered and air will pass up into the reservoir,which will allow water to fall therefrom into the cup until thewater-level in the tank G and cup Z is raised to the required point andthe end of the reservoir base-pipe Y is covered, which by preventing anymore air ascending into the reservoir prevents any more water coming outof it until the water-level in the cup again descends sufiiciently touncover the end of the pipe Y and let a further quantity of .air upagain into the reservoir through the pipe. For the smallest sizes of theapparatus, however, I preferably make said reservoir Y of the form shownin Fig. 4, where said reservoir is closed entirely on top and has twobasepipes Y" Y led into the bottom end, one of which, Y, is somewhatlonger than the other. In this form to fill the reservoir Y it isunhooked from the side of the tank-chamber (i and turned upside down,and said longer pipe Y is sufficiently bell-mouthed, as at Y, tofacilitate pouring of water into the reservoir therethrough. Thereservoir therefore is easily filled as the air escapes through theshort second pipe Y". When full,'the reservoir is inverted and placed inposition with both base: pipes Y* Y immersed in the water in thetankcup. The end of the short pipe Y" regulates the water-level in thetank, for so soon as the level falls below same air passes up into thereservoir through the short pipe Y" and an equivalent volume of waterflows down the long pipe Y until the water-level in the cup risessufficiently to water-seal the end of the short Lil )i)e Y* and Jreventany more air ascending which the foraminous material constitutin b intothe reservoir, which stops any further outflow of water from it.

The use of an automatic means for limiting the quantity of wateradmitted to the tank enables me to make the machines of quite small sizewith very high evaporating power, notwithstanding the fact that withsuch machines the water-level necessarily falls quite rapidly. WVith myimproved apparatus the water is admitted only so fast as it isevaporated. Gonseqnently there is no need of any means for drawing offthe water from the tank.

l/Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. In apparatus for cooling air, the combination with adrum thecircumference of which consists of wetted foraminous material, of a fanmounted within said drum rotating independentl y of said drum andforcing air through the wetted foraminous material thereon.

2. In apparatus for cooling air, the combination of a rotary drum thecircumference of which consists of wetted foraminous material, afan-shaft, a fan mounted on said shaft within said foraminous drum andforcing air through the wetted foraminous material thereof, a drivingconnection between the rotary drum and the fan-shaft, and gearing forreducing the speed of the rotating drum.

3. In apparatus for cooling air, the combination of a drum thecircumference of which consists of wetted foraminous material, a fanmounted within said drum and forcing air through the wetted foraminousmaterial thereof, a shaft carrying said fan, a shaft for driving thedrum and disposed in alinement with the fan-shaft, a flexible couplingjoining the adjacent ends of the fan-shaft and the drumdriving shaft,and speed-reducing gear between the driving-shaft and the drum.

4. In apparatus for cooling air, the combination of a drum, thecircumference of which consists of wetted foraminous material, a fanmounted within said drum and forcing air through the wetted foraminousmaterial thereof, a shaft carrying said fan, a shaft for driving thedrum and disposed in alinement with the fan-shaft, and an elastic sleevecoupling the adjacent ends of the fan-shaft and the primary spindle ofthe drum-d riving mechanism, and speed-reducing gear between thedrivingspindle and the drum.

5. In apparatus for cooling air, the combination of a drum thecircumference of which consists of wetted foraminous material, a fanmounted within said drum and forcing air therethrough, a tankchamberinclosing said drum and fan and having an inlet to the eye of the fanfor admitting air thereto, and an outlet-opening for effiux of thecooled air therefrom, means for driving the fan, means for driving thedrum from the fan-driving shaft at a reduced speed, a tank in the baseof said tank-chamber and containing water into the circumference of thedrum dips.

6. In apparatus for cooling air, the combination of a drum thecircumference of which consists of wetted foraminous material, a fanmounted within said drum and forcing air therethrough, a tank-chamberinclosing said drum and fan and having an inlet to the eye of the fanfor admitting air thereto, and an outlet-opening for efflux of the airtherefrom, a tank in the base of said tank-chamber containing water intowhich the foraminous material of the drum dips as the drum rotates,means for driving the fan, means for driving the drum from the fan-shaftat a reduced speed, projecting rims upon the drum, grooved wheelsdisposed around the drum so as to support and guide the same by theprojecting rims thereon, spindles carrying said wheels and mounted inthe tank-chamber.

7. In apparatus for cooling air, the combination of a drum thecircumference of which consists of wetted foraminous material, afanmounted within said drum and forcing air therethrough, a tank-chamberinclosing the said drum and fan and having an inlet to the eye of thefan for admitting air thereto and an outlet-opening for efflux of theair therefrom, a tank in the base of said tank-chamber containing waterinto which the foraminous material upon the drum dips as the drumrotates, means operating on the bird-fountain principle for feeding andmaintaining a constant level of water in said tank, means for drivingthe fan, means for driving the drum from the fan-driving shaft at areduced speed.

8. In apparatus for cooling air, the combination of a drum thecircumference of which consists of foraminous material, a fan mountedwithin said drum and forcing air there through, a tank-chamber inclosingsaid drum and fan and having an inlet to the eye of the fan foradmitting air thereto, and an outletopening for efliux of air therefrom,a tank in the base of said tank-chamber containing water into which theforamino us material of the drum dips as the drum rotates, meansoperating on the bird-fountain principle for feeding and maintaining aconstant level of water in said tank, means for driving the drum fromthe fan-spindle at areduced speed, projecting rims upon the drum,grooved wheels disposed around the drum so as to support and guide thesame by said projecting rims, spindles carrying said wheels and mountedin the tankcasing.

9. In apparatus for cooling air, the combination of a drum thecircumference of which consists of wetted foraminous material, a fanmounted within said drum, rotating independently of said drum andforcingair through the wetted foraminous material thereof, means forrotating the said fan and said drum, a tank containing water into whichthe foraminous material constituting the circumference of the drum dips,and means operating on the birdfountain principle for feeding andmaintaining a constant level of water in said tank.

10. In apparatus for cooling air, the combination of a drum thecircumference of which consists of wetted foraminous material, a fanmounted within said drum and forcing air through the wetted foraminousmaterial thereof, a shaft carrying said fan, a gear-train for drivingsaid drum the primaryspindle of which is disposed in alinement with thefan-shaft, an elastic sleeve coupling the adjacent ends of the fan-shaftand the drum-driving spindle, speedreducing gear between thedriving-spindle and the drum, a tank containing water into which theforaminous material constituting the circumference of the drum dips,means operating on the bird-fountain principle for feeding andmaintaining a constant level of water in said tank.

11. The combination with apparatus for cooling air wherein a drumcovered with wetted foraminous material around its circumference isrotated and dips into a tank of water, and a fan inclosed within androtating independently of the said drum forces air through the wettedforaminous material thereof, of an open cup in connection with the tank,a reservoir detaehably fitted to the apparatus above said cup, two pipesof unequal length depending from said reservoir into the liquid in saidcup, the shorter pipe terminating at or about the level of liquid to bemaintained in the cup and tank, a funnel at the end of the longer pipefor filling said reservoir when detached and inverted.

12. In apparatus for cooling air, the combination of a drum thecircumference of which consists of wetted foraminous material, a fanmounted Within said drum and forcing air therethrough, a tank-chamberinclosing said drum and fan and having an inlet to the eye of the fanfor admitting air thereto and an outlet for the efllux of cooled airtherefrom, a shaft carrying and driving said fan, a geartrain fordriving the drum the primary spindle of which is disposed in alinementwith the fan-shaft, a flexible or an elastic sleeve coupling theadjacent ends of the fan-shaft and said primary spindle of thedrum-driving speedreducing gear between the driving-shaft and the drum,a tank in the base of said tankchamher and containing water into whichthe f0- raminous material constituting the circumference of the drumdips.

13. In apparatus for cooling air the combi nation of a drum thecircumference of which consists of wetted foraminous material, a fanmounted within said drum and forcing air therethrough, a tank-chamberinclosing said drum and fan and having an inlet to the eye of the fanfor admitting air thereto, and an outlet-opening for efflux of airtherefrom, a tank in the base of said tank-chamber containing water intowhich the foraminous material of the drum dips as the drum rotates, ashaft carrying and driving said fan, a gear-train for driving the drumthe primary spindle of which is disposed in alinement with thefan-shaft, a flexible or an elastic sleeve coupling the adjacent ends ofthe fan-shaft and said primary spindle of the drum-drivingspeed-reducing gear between the driving-shaft and the drum, projectingrims upon the drum,grooved wheels disposed around the drum so as tosupport and guide the same, spindles carrying said pulleys or wheels andmounted in the tank-casing.

14. In apparatus for cooling air, the combination of a drum thecircumference of which consists of wetted foraminous material, a fanmounted within said drum and forcing air therethrough, a tank-chamberinclosing the said drum and fan and having an inlet to the eye of thefan for admitting air thereto and an outlet-opening for efflux of airtherefrom, a tank in the base of said tank-chan'iber containing waterinto which the foraminous material upon the drum dips as the drumrotates, means operating on the bird-fountain principle for feeding andmaintaining a constant level of water in said tank, a shaft carrying anddriving said fan, a gear-train for driving the drum and the primaryspindle of which is disposed in alinement with the fan-shaft, a flexibleor an elastic sleeve coupling the ad jacent ends of the fan-shaft andthe drumdriving shaft, speed-reducing gear between the driving-shaft andthe drum.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

SAlliUllL Clll llJANl) DAVIDSON.

Vitnesses:

HARFORD I'IUGH l\ION'lUO1\I.l 1RY, JonN Bonnn.

